T-cushion rocker/reclining chair



Feb. 3, 1970 F. M. RE

T CUSi-IION ROCKER/RECLINING CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1968 FIG. I.

ITO l3\0 INVENTOR, I FRANK M. RE

FIG. 2.

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 3, 1970 F. M. RE 3,493,264

T-CUSHION 'ROCKER/RECLINING CHAIR Filed April 25, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W les 91" FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. FRANK M. RE

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 3, 1970 v F. M RE T--CUSH ION ROCKER/RECLINING CHAIR 4' Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 25, 1968 v INVENTOR, FRANK M. RE

wazzZQm/JM ATTORNEYS;

. a mu N2 2% m .\8 a. a. M I ""afi Feb. 3, 1970 F. M. RE

T-CUSHiON ROCKER/RECLINING CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 25, 1968 I llIlIl INVENTOR. FRANK M RE ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Olfice 3,493,264 Patented Feb. 3, 1970 US. Cl. 297-84 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Mechanism for effecting synchronized reclining movement of a seat and back rest relative to the rockable chassis of a rocker/reclining chair coincident with the extension of a leg rest relative to the chassis, without the use of external handle and lever means, the seat being of the T cushion type and the mechanism moving it forwardly relative to the chassis during reclining movements to preclude binding of the T cushion relative to the chair arms, and inclusive of means for precluding rocking of the chassis when the leg rest is extended.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 716,814, filed Mar. 28, 1968.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Rocker/reclining chairs for supporting the weight of a person in a seated position wherein a leg rest is actuated With respect to a seat simultaneously with a movement of the seat and back, including means to preclude rocking.

Description of the prior art To my knowledge, no one has successfully incorporated a mechanism into a T-cushion type of rocker/reclining chair which will automatically and simultaneously preelude rocking and extend the leg rest as the seat and back rest are reclined. The T-cushion recliners or rocker/ recliners of the prior art all teach the use of a handle or lever, usually on the side of the chair, for actuating the leg rest, either before or after the seat and back rest are reclined, and this for the reason that no one has been able to overcome the problem of the T-cushion binding at the arms of the chair during the shifting movements between the upright and reclining positions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the invention is to provide, in a rocker/reclining chair, a T cushion seat and mechanism for automatically moving the seat between sitting and reclining positions coincident with the tilting movement of a back rest and the extension of a leg rest without the use of an external handle or lever which detracts from the appearance of the chair, together with positive arresting means for precluding rocking when the chair components are reclined and the leg rest is extended.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a T cushion rocker/reclining chair of the type embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, top plan view of one of a pair of linkage mechanisms of the chair;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the chair in the upright, sitting or rocking position, with the leg rest retracted and with portions of the chair removed for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the chair in the intermediate position, with the leg rest extended, and with the arresting means lowered to preclude rocking; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the chair in the fully-reclined position, with the leg rest extended, and with the arresting means lowered to preclude rocking.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The chair is of the T-cushion type, being so designated because the seat cushion is in the shape of an inverted T, as seen in FIG. 1, with portions thereof disposed forwardly of the arms of the chair.

A need for an automatic rocker/reclining chair incorporating this design without the usual accompanying unsightly and objectionable actuating handle at one side of the chair has long been felt, since the T cushion is now an accepted standard item in conventional living room furniture design and lends itself to better and neater styling.

To my knowledge, no one has previously successfully employed such a T cushion in a rocker/reclining chair without resorting to the use of an actuating handle for the reason that portions of the seat cushion bind on the chair arms when the chair is moved between upright and reclining positions, thereby precluding movement.

The chair in FIG. 1 is representative of the T-cushion rocker/reclining type and incorporates a T cushion seat 10, a back rest 12, a rockable chassis 14 inclusive of chair side arms 16, a two-part, foldaway leg rest generally indicated by 18 and having one of its parts 20 disposed flush with the forward edge of the seat in the chair upright position, and a rocker base 22 for supporting the chassis upwardly of the floor.

Where a two-part leg rest has been shown, a one-part leg rest may be employed with equal facility.

At either side of the chair, an arcuate rocker 24, (see FIGS. 3-5), is secured to the respective side wall of chassis 14 and is rockable upon the upper planar surface of the adjacent rail of rocker base 22.

Each rocker 24 is interassociated with rocker base 22 by a double compression spring mechanism, not shown, in the normal platform-rocker manner.

Seat 10 and back rest 12 are pivotally secured relative to each other and cooperantly constitute a body-supporting sub-assembly having a pivotal relationship to rockable chassis 14.

A linkage mechanism constitutes one of a pair, there being one such linkage mechanism at each side of the body-supporting sub-assembly inwardly of the respective adjacent side of the rockable chassis so as to be concealed from view.

A vertically-disposed mounting bracket 26 extends along the front-to-rear dimension of the chair and is stationarily secured to the coplanar-disposed adjacent side wall of rockable chassis 14.

A seat bracket 28, also extending in a front-to-rear direction of the chair, is stationarily secured to trans- -versely-extending front and rear stretchers 29 and 31 respectively of seat 10.

Leg rest 18 is mounted, by means of the linkage mechanism, relative to the forward end of seat 10 for movement between fully-retracted position, as seen in FIGS. 1-3, and fully-extended positions, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

In the fully-retracted position, which is the fullyupright or rocking position, major leg rest part 20 is positioned substantially flush with the forwardly facing front edge of the seat, while a cooperant minor leg rest part 21 is positioned so as to extend rearwardly from the lower end of the major part and to be concealed from view heneath the seat.

When major leg rest part is elevated and advanced to any extended position, cooperant minor leg rest part 21 is moved accordingly therewith, it being pivotally connected thereto. When the major leg rest part is in fullyextended position, the minor leg rest part will have moved to a position forwardly of and in axial alignment with the major leg rest part.

Leg rest 18 is suspended relative to seat 10 by a pair of actuator links, namely: a primary actuator link and a secondary actuator link 32.

Primary actuator link 38 is pivoted at its upper end at 34 to seat bracket 28 and at its lower end at 35 to the lower end of a primary drive link 36.

Secondary actuator link 32 is pivoted at its upper end at 38 to seat bracket 28 and at its lower end at 40 to the lower end of a secondary drive link 42.

Primary drive link 36 is pivoted at its upper end at 44 to the rear end of a primary propeller link 46 which is pivoted at 48 at its approximate midsection to the approximate midsection of secondary drive link 42 which is pivoted at its upper end at 50 to the rearward end of a secondary propeller link 52.

Primary propeller link 46 is pivoted at 54 at its forward end to the lower end of a major leg rest drive link 56 which is pivoted at 58 at its approximate midsection to the approximate midsection of secondary propeller link 52 and at its upper end at 60 to one end of a major leg rest support plate 62.

The forward end of secondary drive link 42 is provided with a stop surface 43 which is adapted to contact a stop surface 57 on major leg rest drive link 56 to limit the range of extension of the leg rest.

A minor leg rest drive link 64 is pivoted at 66 at its lower end to the forward end of secondary propeller link 52 and is pivoted at 68, (see FIG. 3), at its upper end to a minor leg rest support plate 70 which is pivoted to major leg rest support plate 62 at 72.

A connecting link 74 is pivoted at 76 at its upper end to major leg rest support plate 62 and at its lower end at 78 to minor leg rest drive link adjacent the forward end of the latter.

Means is provided for controlling the movement of the leg rest and comprises a primary control link 80 pivoted at 82 adjacent one of its ends to primary actuator link 30 and pivoted at 84 at its opposite end to the rearward end of a secondary control link 86, which is pivoted at 88 at its approximate midsection to the approximate midsection of secondary actuator link 32 and is pivoted at its forward end at the pivot 44 to the rearward end of primary propeller link 46.

Primary control link 80 is spring-loaded by a tension spring 90 fixed at one end to a pin 92 provided on the inner free end of control link 80 and fixed to its opposite end to a pin 94 provided on seat bracket 28.

The control means regulates the speed and manner of movement of the leg rest, while the spring loading of control link 80 ensures that the leg rest remains closed while the chair is upright and the occupant is rocking.

Means for ensuring coordinated reclining movement of the seat and back rest components of the body-supporting unit coincident with extension of the leg rest includes a rise bar 96 pivoted at its forward end to primary actuator link 30 at the pivot 82 and pivoted at 97 at its opposite rearward end to a plate-like coordinating link 98 which is pivoted at 100 to mounting bracket 26.

The coordinating link is the focal point or hub for the operative connection between the chassis, seat, back rest and leg rest.

As already indicated, the coordinating link is operatively connected to the leg rest through pivotal connection 97 with rise bar 96 and is operatively connected to chassis 14 through pivotal connection 100.

It is operatively connected to the back rest by a short link 102 pivoted at 104 at its lower end to the coordinating link and pivoted at 106 at its upper end to a generally L-shaped back rest link 108.

Back rest link 108 is fixed as by screws 110 to a side rail 112 of the back rest and is pivoted at 114 at its forward end to mounting bracket 26.

Coordinating link 98 is operatively connected to the seat by a system of links including a slotted link 116 pivoted at 118 at its lower end to the coordinating link and having a central slot 128 therein in which a pin 122 provided on seat bracket 28 is slideable.

A connecting link 124 is pivoted at its upper end to pin 122 and at 126 at its lower end to rise bar 96, thereby effecting an operative connection between the seat and leg rest.

A system of links is provided for raising seat bracket 28 and moving it and seat 10 forwardly to clear the chair arms as the body-supporting unit is reclined while counter-balancing the chair back to preclude any objectionable falling sensation on the part of the chair occupant.

Said system of links includes a seat link 128 pivoted at 130 at its rearward end to seat bracket 28 and pivoted at 132 at its opposite end to the upper end of a pivot link 134.

Pivot link 134 is pivoted at 136 at its approximate midsection to the approximate midsection of a leg rest link 138 and is pivoted at 148 at its lower end to the upper end of a chassis link 142 which is pivoted at 144 at its lower end to mounting bracket 26.

Leg rest 138 is pivoted at its rearward end at 146 to mounting bracket 26 and is pivoted at 148 at its forward end to the lower end of a rise bar link 150 which is pivoted at 152 at its upper end to rise bar 96.

Additional stop means comprises, a stop surface 154 on coordinating link 98 engageable with the lower surface of back rest link 108 to limit the degree of angularization of the back rest when the chair is in the fully reclined position, as shown in FIG. 5.

Means for precluding rocking movement of the bodysupporting unit, when the leg rest is extended, comprises a pair of arresting means, one disposed adjacent the chair front, and the other adjacent the chair rear, each of which is engageable with rocker base 22.

The forward arresting means is generally indicated by 168 and comprises a forward roller link 162 pivoted at 164 at its upper end to mounting bracket 26 and having a roller 166 rotatably mounted on its lower end and engageable with a wear plate 108 provided on the upper surface of rocker base 22. Of course, it Will be appreciated that roller can alternatively make direct contact with the base.

In the upright and intermediate reclining positions, a stop surface 199 of leg rest link 138 rests upon an offset flange 200 provided on mounting bracket 26, this flange acting as a stop to preclude any drooping of the linkage mechanism.

A forward actuating link 170 is pivoted at 172 at its forward end to forward roller link 162 and is pivoted at 174 at its opposite end to coordinating link 98.

The rear arresting means is generally indicated by and comprises a rear roller link 182 pivoted at 184 at its upper end to mounting bracket 26 and having a roller 186 rotatably mounted on its lower end and engageable with a bearing plate 188 provided on the upper surface of rocker base 22, or directly engageable with the upper surface of the base.

A rear actuating link 90 is pivoted at 192 at its lower end to rear roller link 182 and is pivoted at 194 at its opposite end to coordinating link 98.

When the chair is in upright position, each of the arresting means is in a raised position out of contact with the rocker base, whereby the chassis may be rocked at will.

However, when the body-supporting unit is moved and the leg rest extended, the arresting means move into contact with the rocker base to preclude rocking.

Since each of the arresting means is operatively connected to coordinating link 98, each swings as the coordinating link rotates when the body-supporting unit is reclined, moving into engagement with the rocker base to provide positive and dual arresting means to preclude rocking, when the chair is in an intermediate or fully reclined position.

Slotted link 116 precludes reclining of the body-supporting unit without concomitant leg rest extension and precludes leg rest retraction while in the fully-reclined position.

I am able to employ a T cushion because the seat does not move rearwardly, as is common in reclining chairs when the back is tilted, but rather moves forwardly and its rear end moves slightly downwardly, and it is the weight of the occupant which propels the leg rest forwardly and upwardly. Since the seat moves forwardly, it cannot bind on the arms of the chair to hamper or preclude reclining movements or extension of the leg rest.

I claim:

1. A. rocker reclining chair comprising: a stationary rocker base, a chassis rockably mounted on said base, a body-supporting unit including a back rest and a T-cushion seat pivotal relative to said chassis and pivotal each relative to the other, means mounting said body-supporting unit for movements relative to said chassis successive- 1y between an upright sitting position and an intermediate reclined position and a fully reclined position, a leg rest movable between retracted position wherein it is disposed forwardly of the seat, actuating means connecting the body-supporting unit and chassis and leg rest for automatically moving said leg rest responsively to movement of the body-supporting unit, said actuating means moving the T-cushion seat forwardly and upwardly as the body-supporting unit is reclined and the leg rest extended whereby binding between the T-cushion and the chassis is precluded, and dual arresting means operatively connected to said actuating means and movable into engagement with the rocker base when the bodysupporting unit is reclined for precluding rocking of the chassis.

2. In a rocker reclining chair as set forth in claim 1, wherein said dual arresting means comprise forward and rear roller links each rotatably engageable with the rocker base.

3. In a rocker reclining chair as set forth in claim 1, including plural stop means for limiting the range of movement of said leg rest and said body-supporting unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JAMES T. McCALL, Primary Examiner US. 01. X.R. 29745, 271 

